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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25255876">A Brilliant Possibility</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shonebrightly/pseuds/shonebrightly'>shonebrightly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), 宝石商リチャード氏の謎鑑定 | Housekishou Richard-shi no Nazo Kantei | The Case Files of Jeweler Richard (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bilingual Character(s), Gen, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Minor novel spoilers through Lapis Lazuli, Misunderstandings, Oblivious Seigi, POV First Person, Part 1 setting (Jeweler Richard), Post-series setting (Yuri on Ice), Pre-Relationship, Questioning, Same-Sex Marriage, Yuri and Victor are very in love, minor reference to societal homophobia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:07:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25255876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shonebrightly/pseuds/shonebrightly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jewelry Étranger receives a visit from the champion figure skaters Katsuki Yuri and Victor Nikifirov, who are planning their wedding and searching for the perfect custom rings to represent their bond and history together. Seigi, who has never met an out gay couple before, confronts his biases and finds himself inspired by their relationship. Yuri and Victor slightly misunderstand the nature of Seigi's questions... or do they?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>109</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Brilliant Possibility</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Content notes: the mentions of homophobia are along the lines of "this is a thing that exists in the real world" but do not directly affect the characters or the plot. But I thought I'd warn upfront just in case.</p><p>I'm also playing fast and loose with the timing of the figure skating season. I wanted Victor and Yuri to be in Tokyo so I shoehorned a competition in there, but I have no idea when it would actually take place. Also everything I know about rocks is either from Jeweler Richard or Wikipedia.</p><p>I speak Japanese and all of the characters are canonically at least bilingual, so there are a few Japanese words interspersed throughout but I think all should be clear in context.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> The topic of figure skating came up on Friday night, when I was listening eagerly to the melodious tones of Richard’s voice on the other end of the line as he asked me about my week. We were in the midst of one of our weeknight English conversation practices. All things considered, it had been a pretty uneventful week, and I was starting to run out of things to talk about, although I didn’t really want to cut the call with Richard short. I went to class, I tried to carve out more time to study for the public service exam... But the highlights of my week are always Saturdays and Sundays at Jewelry Étranger, and the weeknight English phone calls with Richard, whenever he can schedule them. At a loss, I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind:</p><p> “Tanimoto’s friends have been watching figure skating. I heard Japan was doing really well in the competition. She showed me a video of the men’s short program and I was really impressed! So I watched Japan’s skater Katsuki Yuri on TV yesterday.” My English still sounded stilted and awkward to my own ears. Did I get all the a’s and the’s in the right places this time? I still didn’t really understand the point of definite and indefinite articles, but I wanted to be able to communicate with Richard in his mother tongue, so I kept trying to get it right.</p><p> Richard didn’t correct me, so I must have succeeded this time. “You’ve got quite a busy course load right now. Do you have time to be watching figure skating?” he asked, a gently teasing tone to his voice.</p><p> “I watched the competition as background noise while I studied. But you know looking at beautiful things is stress relief!” I replied.</p><p> I could hear Richard cough lightly in response. I definitely said something weird again. I hadn’t meant to, but I probably made him think about all of my excessive commentary on this attractive face. It’s hardly my fault though; Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpien, the owner of Jewelry Étranger and my boss, is so beautiful that he’s practically otherworldly. Even now, it’s still sometimes hard to believe that he’s just as human as everyone else.</p><p> “Seigi, do you watch figure skating often?” Richard steered the conversation back on course.</p><p> “No, this was the first time I paid attention,” I replied. “It was amazing! Katsuki Yuri was so cool and powerful, and uh… graceful!” I struggled for a moment, trying to find the right words to describe the figure skating action without relying totally on sound effects (curse you, rich onomatopoeic vocabulary of the Japanese language—none of this is translatable). “On the ice, Katsuki Yuri was glittering. It was like watching a meteor shower, or the lights of the aurora.”</p><p> Richard hummed in reply. “That sounds like an incredible phenomenon. I’d love to see it.”</p><p> “I’ll send you a video.” I inadvertently switched back to Japanese as I shifted the phone in my hand. “Let me put you on speaker real quick while I look it up.”</p><p> “No, don’t worry about it,” Richard replied, still in English. “It’s getting quite late, why don’t we call it a day?” Apparently sensing that I might take it the wrong way, he immediately followed up with “If you text me the video I’ll watch it tonight.”</p><p> I glanced at the clock. It was already getting close to midnight—when <em>did</em> it get so late? Time always seemed to pass in the blink of an eye when I was talking to Richard, but it was high time for Professor Richard’s English classroom to shut its doors for the night. “Sure. I’ll send it,” I replied, in English again. “Goodnight Richard. See you tomorrow.”</p><p> “Goodnight, Seigi. Sleep well.”</p><p> “Sleep well.”</p><p> “Bye now.”</p><p> “Bye.”</p><p> After disconnecting the call, I pulled up the video app on my phone and typed in “Katsuki Yuri men’s short program.” One of the first results was the video Tanimoto-san had showed me that had gotten me so mesmerized by the Japanese figure skater’s performance. I copied the link and pasted it into a text message to Richard.</p><p> Almost immediately, the words “Read 11:45pm” appeared under my latest text. Knowing Richard’s texting habits, he was probably watching the video I’d sent right now. Sure enough, exactly two minutes and forty-five seconds later, my phone vibrated with a quick series of texts.</p><p> <em>Seigi</em><br/>
<em>About tomorrow’s 11:30 am reservation</em>
</p><p>There was a brief pause as the “…” indicator appeared on the screen, then quickly disappeared.</p><p>
  <em>Never mind, please disregard. Milk for tomorrow: 2 bottles.</em>
</p><p>I raised an eyebrow at the mysterious text message. What did Richard want to tell me, and why did he decide not to send it? Or maybe Richard accidentally sent me something meant for someone else? Well, there was nothing for it but to wait until tomorrow at 11:30am when I could meet our mystery customer myself.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>Saturday started out normally enough. I picked up the requested two bottles of milk at the supermarket on my way to Jewelry Étranger, and Richard and I prepared to open the shop for the day. As the clock ticked closer to 11:30am, I was getting increasingly curious about our mysterious first reservation, but Richard wasn’t giving any hints. It wasn’t until about ten minutes before that Richard told me, “Katsuki-sama and Nikiforov-sama will be arriving shortly. They’ll be picking out stones for their wedding rings.”</p><p>“Roger that! Royal milk tea coming right up,” I replied. Congratulations to the happy couple. I wondered what kind of gemstone the bride and groom were here to see. Diamonds are the traditional stone for wedding rings, but couples that came specifically to Étranger always seemed to have a special story they wanted to tell with their wedding jewelry. I was excited to see what heartwarming story this couple might have to share.</p><p>As I heated the milk tea, I suddenly processed the words Richard had just said to me, and the odd text message from the night before. Richard’s comment about the 11:30 reservation, right after he watched the video of Katsuki Yuri’s skating, and “Katsuki-sama”…?</p><p>It couldn’t be. Impossible! The Japanese champion figure skater Katsuki Yuri was coming to Étranger to choose a wedding ring, on this day of all days, right after I watched his competition on TV? No way…! Who was he getting married to?! There was something about the name “Nikiforov” that sounded familiar to me, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on where I’d heard it before. <em>Okay, Nakata Seigi, calm down, be professional. Don’t spill the milk tea.</em></p><p>From the little kitchenette, I heard the chime of the intercom and a young man’s gentle-sounding voice. “Hello, we have an 11:30 reservation? Katsuki?”</p><p>“Welcome to Étranger,” Richard replied, releasing the front door’s electronic lock and walking towards the door to greet the new arrivals. “I’m the owner, Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpien.” I’d seen Richard’s self-introduction enough times to know that this was the part where he exchanged business cards with his customers and they gawked at his tongue-twister-like last name.</p><p>Sure enough, I carried the tray of tea cups from the kitchen just in time to see the young man who had identified himself as Katsuki stutter, “de…Vulpien-san? Did I pronounce that right?”</p><p>“Please, call me Richard.”</p><p>“Pleased to meet you in person, Richard-san,” the young man replied with a bow. He looked like he might be somewhere between my age and Richard’s, with a boyishly round face, short black hair, and rectangular glasses half-rimmed by blue frames. “I’m Katsuki Yuri.”</p><p>I managed to stop myself from making a noise of surprise but Richard either heard my intake of breath or maybe just sensed that I was about to say something, because he shot me a sharp look. Yes, boss, I’m on my best behavior.</p><p>At first glance, the young man who had introduced himself as Katsuki Yuri didn't really look much like someone who could move with the power, grace, and beauty of the figure skater I had seen on TV, but if I imagined him with his bangs slicked back away from his forehead, without the glasses, and in tighter clothes, there was no mistaking it. Japan’s star figure skater was right here in Étranger.</p><p>A tall European-looking man stood beside Katsuki-san. Based on Richard’s earlier explanation, this must be Katsuki’s fiancé. <em>Not a bride and groom after all then. </em>I mentally kicked myself for my previous assumption.</p><p>Katsuki’s fiancé had pale skin and hair in such a light shade of blonde that it looked almost silver, and blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief. “I’m Victor Nikiforov,” he chirped in Japanese, bowing as well. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.” His Japanese reminded me somewhat of Richard’s cousin Jeffery’s—it had just a little bit of a childish lilt to it. Why did that name sound so familiar?</p><p>“Nakata Seigi,” I introduced myself with a polite bow. “I work for Richard part-time.”</p><p> “Nice to meet you, Nakata-san,” the couple replied, returning the bow.</p><p> “Please, have a seat.” Richard led the way to the set of red sofas and the glass-topped low table in the center of the room. The two men sat side by side on the sofa, close enough that their thighs touched, although there was enough space on the sofa for two adults to sit at a comfortable distance. Nikiforov’s right hand slid sideways to cover Katsuki’s left hand, intertwining their fingers. A subtle gold band ornamented his right ring finger, and I noticed Katsuki had a matching one on his own right hand—engagement rings.</p><p>I could feel myself blushing a little as I set the teacups on the table in front of the couple and Richard. I couldn’t remember a time when I had seen two men be so physically affectionate. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, but the open intimacy of it tugged at my heartstrings in a completely unexpected way. I cleared my throat to swallow the lump that had formed there. <em>Get it together, Seigi.</em> “This is royal milk tea, it’s a specialty of Étranger.”</p><p>“Wow!” Nikiforov exclaimed. He turned to Katsuki and said something softly in English. It was probably not meant for my ears but it sounded like “No wonder this place got such excellent reviews.” He clapped his hands together and chirped, “<em>Ittadakimasu!”</em></p><p>“<em>Sumimasen</em>,” Katsuki accepted the tea with a polite nod to me and said to Richard in barely-accented English, “Thank you. This looks delicious.”</p><p>“I hope that it’s to your taste,” Richard replied, his formal Japanese perfect as always. “I’m happy to hear that my humble shop comes so highly recommended.” He addressed both men in Japanese, “My emails with Katsuki-sama up to this point have been in Japanese, but would you prefer English?” Then he said a few words in a language I couldn’t understand— a little harsh, with a lot of up and down inflection.</p><p>Nikiforov laughed delightedly and said a few words back. Then he switched to English. “You speak Russian like a Muscovite and your Japanese is amazing. Where are you from? Let me guess, half Japanese, half Russian?” he winked, to emphasize that he was joking.</p><p>“I’m English,” Richard replied. “From just outside of London.”</p><p><em>From an estate outside of London, </em>I mentally corrected, but Richard’s cousins’ peerage was neither here nor there.</p><p>Katsuki glanced at Nikiforov beside him. “I think we’d prefer English, right?”</p><p>Nikiforov nodded. “My Japanese is still <em>benkyō-chū</em> and for such an important conversation I wouldn’t want to miss a word.” He squeezed Katsuki’s hand again. “I wouldn’t want to miss a word” sounded like something an actor in a romance movie might say, but somehow Nikiforov made it sound sincere.</p><p>“Of course, Mr. Nikiforov, Mr. Katsuki,” Richard continued in English. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll bring out the gemstones you requested. I also have the first draft from our designer so that you can review.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Katsuki replied. “Oh, and you can call me Yuri. It feels weird being addressed by my last name in English.”</p><p>“Yes, and everyone just calls me Victor,” his partner added. “In any language.”</p><p>I remembered back when I first met Richard and he asked me not to add “-san” to his name. I guess he was right, that it was more common internationally for people to address each other by first names. As I was getting more comfortable speaking English, I was becoming more attuned to how switching languages could allow someone to shed some of the burdens of formality and expectations in their native tongue. I found myself wondering how that might play out in the international relationship between these two men.</p><p>As Richard left for the back room to prepare, I was left alone with Yuri and Victor. “Katsuki-san, um, Yuri?” I started in English. “Can I ask you a question?”</p><p>Yuri looked a little surprised. “Sure. Nakata-san, right?”</p><p>“Seigi. I’m not even a full-time employee, it would be weird for just me to be addressed formally,” I replied in Japanese.</p><p>“Okay,” Yuri agreed. “What did you want to ask?”</p><p>“How did you get so good at English?”</p><p>Apparently this wasn’t the question Yuri had been anticipating. He scratched his head nervously. “Through skating, I guess. I trained in Detroit, and talking to other skaters from all over, the language we had in common was English. So I just kind of had to pick it up.”</p><p>The only real image I had of Detroit was from American cop shows and some vague association with car manufacturing. But thanks to my whirlwind trip to London, I did remember vividly what it was like to arrive in a foreign country barely speaking the language, with a goal that I was determined to achieve at all costs. And even then, I had Jeffrey and ultimately Richard to help smooth over the communication gaps. To say I was impressed with Yuri’s achievement was an understatement.</p><p> “Oh! I wanted to say, I saw your skating on TV the other day! I wasn’t a fan of figure skating before but I definitely am now. You looked so cool!”</p><p>“That’s my Yuri, enticing all the boys with his Eros,” Victor teased, wrapping an arm around Yuri’s shoulders.</p><p>“Victor…!” Yuri blushed, and although I wasn’t sure what Victor was talking about, I felt like maybe I should be blushing too. Eros... like “erotic,” like that Eros?</p><p>Looking for a subject change, I blurted out “How did you two meet? In Detroit?”</p><p>Victor and Yuri exchanged a look.</p><p>“You don’t know…!” Yuri muttered at the same time as Victor said, with an ever-so-slightly plaintive tone and an even more intense glimmer in his eye, “He doesn’t know!”</p><p>“Sorry,” Yuri started. “I just assumed, when you said you watched the competition. The commentators usually end up saying <em>something</em>.”</p><p>“We’re something of a celebrity couple in the figure skating world,” Victor chimed in, beaming. It seemed like he was rather proud of this fact. “We fell in love on the ice, when I came to Japan to be Yuri’s coach. Well, <em>I </em>fell in love a whole year before that, when Yuri asked me to dance at—mmph!”</p><p>Victor’s voice was muffled as Yuri’s hand shot up to cover Victor’s mouth. Yuri’s face was red as a cherry. “Why do you always try to tell that story to people who we’ve just met?” he hissed.</p><p>“I just want everyone to know how <em>passionate </em>and <em>adorable</em> you are,” Victor replied, gently removing Yuri’s hand from his face. Still holding Yuri’s hand, Victor brought it up to his lips, placing a light kiss on the top of his knuckles.</p><p>Blushing furiously, I turned to face away from the couple, fighting the urge to cover my face with the tea tray I was still holding. The last thing I wanted to do was look rude or seem like I was offended. But it wasn’t because they were <em>men;</em> it was because I didn’t know where to look without feeling like I was intruding on a private moment.</p><p>Suddenly I realized why the name “Nikiforov” had sounded so familiar. The TV commentators <em>had</em> said something during the broadcast. I remembered bits and pieces of the conversation between the commentators before Yuri took to the ice.</p><p> <em>“…Katsuki Yuri and his coach, five-time Grand Prix Champion Victor Nikiforov. Katsuki has ascended to new heights under Victor’s tutelage, and he has become known for performances that thematize love and the bond that he and Victor share, on and off the ice.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Here in the stands you can see the colorful banners of Rainbow Victory. For those not in the know, ‘Victory’ comes from Victor plus Yuri, and they’re an advocacy group for LGBT visibility in figure skating that formed in response to a conservative backlash against Yuri and Victor’s public courtship. But love and color permeate the crowd tonight in Tokyo.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Victor himself is a strong contender for the NHK Trophy. Do you think we’ll see skating fans’ favorite couple together on the podium tonight?”</em>
</p><p>I mentally kicked myself for a second time. I had been watching for Yuri, not Victor, and I’d been trying to study at the same time, but after hearing all of that I’d still made the assumption that a couple buying wedding rings would be a man and woman. Working at Étranger had expanded my horizons in many ways, but apparently I still had a long way to go.</p><p>As I was furiously confronting my own biases, Richard returned with his treasure box of gemstones. He set the box on the glass-topped low table, opening its lid to reveal three neat rows of sparkling gems.</p><p>The first row of stones was an array of color, ranging from deep pomegranate-red to magenta, to orange and even green.</p><p>The second row of transparent stones glittered extravagantly, reflecting the flattering natural light shining in from the shop windows.</p><p>The third row ranged in color from deep blue-violet to watery violet-gray hues.<br/>
“Garnet, diamond, and iolite?” I asked Richard.</p><p>“Good for you,” he replied. “Exactly right, Seigi. Victor, Yuri, here is the first draft of the design my colleague came up with based on your description.” On the table beside the treasure box, Richard unfurled a design schematic showing a ring from multiple angles.</p><p>“Wow, Maa-san—er, Maya-san designed this?” I asked.</p><p>“Indeed,” Richard replied. To Yuri and Victor, he said. “Please, take your time to review. My colleague, Ms. Hamada, would be happy to incorporate any feedback you have.”</p><p>Victor and Yuri leaned close to study the design, shoulders touching.</p><p>“Wow, this is spectacular work!” Victor exclaimed.</p><p>“It really is,” Yuri agreed.</p><p>The ring in Maya-san’s drawing had an elegant band of white gold, bisected diagonally by streak of yellow gold that circled the band. A line of three petite gemstones in a round brilliant cut were nestled into the center of the yellow gold section. The diamond stood in the center position, like a gold medalist on a podium, with the magenta garnet set diagonally above it, and the blue-violet iolite below. The smooth diagonal lines gave the design a feeling of motion that seemed perfect for two people whose lives revolved around graceful movement on the ice.</p><p>“Ms. Hamada envisioned a rhodolite garnet to compliment the violet hue of the iolite, but since garnet refers to a family of minerals rather than one single stone, a wide variety of colors are possible, as you can see here. Any of these would look exquisite incorporated into this design.” Richard gestured to the row of garnets in his treasure box. Then he pointed to the iolite in the drawing.</p><p>“While iolite has a relatively high hardness ranking, it has a tendency to cleave if impacted from a particular direction, so to reduce the risk of damaging it, I would caution against wearing this on the ice. For a blue stone that is more sturdy, I can recommend a sapphire. I have several excellent sapphires that I can show you today if you would like.”</p><p>Yuri frowned in response. “I really liked the <em>hōseki kotoba</em> meaning of iolite,” he said quietly.</p><p> “And it’s not as if we don’t have a life at all off the ice. Although it can seem that way sometimes!” Victor put in with a laugh. “Our engagement rings were sort of an impulse buy, so for our wedding we wanted something that really represents <em>us</em>.”</p><p> “An impulse buy?!” I blurted out before I could stop myself. How do you <em>impulse buy</em> an engagement ring? Wasn’t that the sort of thing people plan and save up for, for months or even years?</p><p> “Love doesn’t really happen how you plan for it,” Yuri replied, in an explanation that wasn’t really an explanation. “Or I guess, it happens when you don’t plan for it? Sometimes it just sparks, in the midst of other relationships…”</p><p> <em>In the midst of other relationships</em>. That’s right, Victor was Yuri’s coach. Getting together had to have been a risky choice. Even if both parties had the best of intentions, to an outsider it might even look like power harassment. Like if Richard and I were to get engaged despite our employer-employee relationship.</p><p> I thought back to the events in London, the mess surrounding Richard’s future spouse and the 7<sup>th</sup> Earl Claremont’s will, and the white sapphire locked away in the safe in my apartment. If events had played out differently, we almost might have been engaged. Or I might have gone to prison, for Richard’s sake. I couldn’t help but think about Saul’s words before I left for London, and how I still didn’t have a clear answer about how I felt towards Richard and why. <em>Love happens when you don’t plan for it, in the midst of other relationships.</em></p><p> “Somehow, that makes a lot of sense to me,” I murmured in Japanese. Across the table, Richard’s lips were a tight line, and Yuri turned to look up at me, surprised. Even Victor, who supposedly didn’t fully understand Japanese, glanced from Richard’s face, to mine, to Yuri’s.</p><p> Richard coughed lightly, a gentle request for a subject change. <em>Nice save, Richard</em>. “These three gemstones do have lovely meanings in Japanese <em>hōseki kotoba</em>. Iolite represents ‘first love.’”</p><p> Yuri nodded. “I never even thought about falling in love before Victor showed up on my doorstep offering to be my coach.” This time it was Yuri’s turn to reach over to squeeze Victor’s hand. “And now here we are.”</p><p> “I’m basically Yuri’s muse,” Victor boasted.</p><p> “The inspiration goes both ways,” Yuri insisted. “It’s not like you stopped creating beautiful pieces just because you started coaching me. I wouldn’t stand for that and you know it.”</p><p> “In all seriousness,” Victor cut in, “the meaning of ‘first love’ is an important one to me too. And I love the color of these iolites. May I?” He gestured to one of the delicate faceted iolites lined up in the cushioned box on the table between them.</p><p> “Of course, go right ahead.”</p><p> Victor gently lifted an iolite and held it so that it gleamed with the reflection of the light shining in from the window. He turned it from side to side, studying it from different directions. “Wow, it's so interesting how you can only see the purpley-blue color from a certain angle. Like it has hidden depths. I love that too.”</p><p> Victor seemed like the type of person who didn’t hesitate to voice his affections out loud. <em>Yuri is lucky to have someone like him, </em>I thought. <em>Most Japanese would be too shy</em>…</p><p> “Very strong pleochroism is one of the distinctive traits of iolite,” Richard explained. “It can appear pale blue or even pale yellow depending on the direction of the light reflecting off of it.”</p><p> Yuri also studied the iolite that Victor handed to him, carefully observing the change in the stone’s color. Then he turned to the row of garnets. “I had no idea garnets came in so many colors. What did you call this pink one?”</p><p> “Rhodolite garnet,” Richard replied. “There are a number of different meanings associated with garnet, may I ask which one you had in mind?”</p><p> “<em>Hisometa jōnetsu</em>,” Yuri replied. “Uh, what would you say in English…?”</p><p> “Passion hidden beneath the surface?” Richard suggested.</p><p> “That, exactly! Wow, your Japanese really is amazing. How did you learn it?”</p><p> “I’ve been studying for a long time, it’s really nothing special,” Richard replied.</p><p> “Well, if you have any study tips, please share!” Victor put in. “Despite being engaged to a Japanese man, all I can talk about is food.”</p><p> “That’s probably my mom and dad’s fault more than anything,” Yuri told him with a grin.</p><p> “Nothing beats your mom’s katsudon!” Victor exclaimed. “Well, <em>almost</em> nothing.” He smiled at Yuri like they were sharing a private joke.</p><p> I wondered what a private joke about katsudon could be, but it didn’t really seem like something I could ask. There was something else I was curious about, though. Well, several somethings, but firstly, “So, you don’t talk in Japanese together at all?”</p><p> “Not really, we mostly speak English.”</p><p> “Yuri speaks to me in Japanese if he’s mad or drunk.”</p><p> “You’re the same way with Russian!”</p><p> “Russian is too hard, there’s no reason to learn all those declensions if you don’t have to.” </p><p> “One of these days I’ll learn what Yurio is saying about me behind my back.”</p><p> “Yurio doesn’t talk about people behind their backs, he just says it straight to their faces. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” For some reason, Victor turned to look straight at me and said with a wink, “It can be nice to have a language that you don’t share with your partner. That way if you get in a fight and need to call your parents crying, you can get your emotions off your chest without hurting his feelings.”</p><p> “…Th-thanks for the advice,” I replied, bewildered.</p><p> “He’s exaggerating!” Yuri spluttered. “We don’t—you never call your parents.”</p><p> “Just a little multilingual advantage to keep in mind,” Victor smiled at me again, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes like we were sharing a secret.</p><p><em>As if I could ever have a linguistic advantage over Professor Richard, language geek</em>, I thought to myself. And then I thought about Yuri’s comment about Victor never calling his parents. I remembered stories I’d heard of gay people whose relationships weren’t accepted by their families. Was that why Victor never called? “Do your parents… not approve?”</p><p>“Seigi…” Richard cut in.</p><p>“Sorry, you don’t need to answer that!”</p><p> Victor laughed, quickly dispelling my worries. “No, they love Yuri! We have to be a little more closeted when we go out together in St. Petersburg, the Russian government being what it is, but my parents couldn’t be more supportive.”</p><p> I thought about my communication with Hiromi. While we definitely love each other, she’s not the first person I would cry to if I had a fight with someone I cared about. Victor’s relationship with his parents was probably similar.</p><p> “Yuri’s parents are supportive too. They might be our biggest fans, actually,” Victor continued.</p><p> “My parents are so happy we’re having our wedding in Hasetsu, I think they’ve been updating me on party plans more than they’ve been watching me skate,” Yuri added.</p><p> Where exactly was Hasetsu? As a lifelong Tokyoite, the city name didn’t really ring a bell for me. I tried to figure out if there was a way to ask without sounding rude.</p><p> Apparently Yuri could tell from the look on my face that I had no idea where his hometown was, and from his response, it sounded like he was used to that reaction. “In Kyushu, Saga-ken. Hasetsu used to be famous for onsen resorts, but now the one my family owns is the only one left. It’s pretty rural.”</p><p> “It’s called Onsen Yu-Topia, you should stop by if you’re ever in Kyushu!” Victor chimed in excitedly. “The onsen is amazing and the hospitality is incredible! Home of the best katsudon in the world.”</p><p> So Victor and Yuri were getting married in Kyushu. “Is same-sex marriage legal in Kyushu?” I wondered out loud. Although definitely outside my area of expertise, it seemed like something that would have made the news. Although I didn’t miss the look Richard was sending my way, it seemed like a harmless enough question.</p><p> “Fukuoka has domestic partnership registration now,” Yuri replied. “We’re thinking about getting our actual marriage license in either Detroit, if we can see some of my friends at the same time, or maybe in Barcelona where we got engaged… It kind of depends on what people’s schedules look like. We’ll do something with Victor’s family and some of our friends in St. Petersburg too, but the real party is going to be in Hasetsu.”</p><p> This was a totally different way of thinking about getting married than I was used to, not that I’d spent much time thinking about weddings. It seemed like a given that a couple would get legally married and celebrate their wedding all at the same time, but with laws about same-sex marriage being different everywhere, what seemed obvious to me was apparently not so easy for Victor and Yuri. <em>Even without some ridiculous, archaic family will, why does the world make it so complicated for people to just marry who they love?</em> I wondered, with no small amount of frustration. But the fact that Yuri and Victor had friends and family all over the world who were happy to celebrate with them? That part was truly heartwarming. “Wow, that’s like a wedding world tour! How cool!”</p><p> Yuri scratched the back of his head, seeming embarrassed at the attention. “Glad you think so… It’s hard to get everyone together in one place, but it is pretty cool to get to visit so many people from all over.”</p><p> “I bet!” I imagined Yuri and Victor, hand in hand, sightseeing all over Europe and America. Here in Japan though, public displays of affection were not that common even for straight couples. And based on what Victor had implied earlier, it sounded like Russia could be openly hostile. What must it feel like, returning from abroad only to find that you’re able to openly express your love everywhere except for your own home country? It must be like throwing yourself into a tub of ice water right after a soothing soak in a hot spring—tense and chilling.</p><p> “…How is it, being back in Japan?” I asked Yuri. “I know it’s not exactly the easiest place to be different, is it?”</p><p> “<em>Seigi</em>,” Richard interrupted sharply.</p><p> Yuri smiled, first at Richard and then at me. “No, it’s okay, I’m happy to answer.” He met Victor’s eyes for a moment, giving his hand another squeeze, and then turned back to me. “I don’t really feel like I’m so different from most Japanese, just because the person I love is a man. One in ten people are part of the LGBTQ community after all, even here where we might not be as visible. There are more and more events and organizations bringing awareness to LGBTQ life in Japan, and even our government is starting to listen. Cities are adopting domestic partnership systems, corporations are including same-sex partners in their benefits. It’s slow, but it’s progress.</p><p> “If anything, the things that make me feel different are things I chose. I decided to pursue professional figure skating and train in America, and that means I had to become pretty independent, and I travel a lot, and I didn’t have the same university and job searching experience other people my age did. And as an athlete, I have to think about my body in a certain way, including considering when it’s time for me to retire. Those are the things that make me feel different, but they’re all my choice. I recognize that I’ve been pretty lucky. I’m loved and accepted by my family and friends, and I’m not going to lose my job because of who I love. There was some nastiness and some backlash after Victor and I started dating, because parts of the skating world can still be pretty conservative. But it was mostly online, mostly not anyone we knew, nothing that could hurt us personally. Not everyone can say that, in Japan or America or Russia or anywhere else. But because I do have such a secure support system, I’m okay if I’m seen as different. I’m proud to be visible if it means someone else gets to see the example of love they were looking for in the world, to see that it really is a possibility. Because it’s hard to believe you can accomplish something you’ve never seen.”</p><p> Beside Yuri, Victor nodded. “I completely agree. Unlike Yuri, I <em>have</em> always felt a little different, but I’ve always brought that into my performance. I’ve always had skating as my outlet, and I’ve always brought my entire self onto the ice. And it’s worked to my advantage—the judges say I have a reputation for surprising people. And not to get too dark, but there are advantages to being semi-famous as a couple. We’re insulated from the expectations assigned to ‘normal’ people, so we can get away with being unconventional. And having fans can be a form of protection; even if Moscow decided I needed to be punished for my unrepentant homosexuality, I think they would be hesitant to harass a champion figure skater who continues to be a positive representation for Russia on the international stage. It’s a ‘live and let live’ mentality. So as long as I have this platform that I do, I don’t want to hide anything about myself, especially if it shows someone else a new possibility. Maybe I can help them see that what Yuri and I have is possible for ‘ordinary’ people too.”</p><p> Hearing Yuri and Victor’s responses, I found myself at a loss for words. I don’t know what kind of answer I had been expecting, but no wonder Richard had tried to stop me. I felt so incredibly short-sighted, thinking only about whether Yuri and Victor might be able to hold hands or share a discrete kiss, but together they were considering how their actions and their relationship might be an example for people all over the world, people who maybe had never seen an openly gay couple before. They were even considering how they could be an example that might change politics. To have so much weighing on their relationship but to consider it a source of pride like Yuri described, instead of a source of pressure or a burden… I couldn't imagine what that must be like, but it filled my heart with hope.</p><p> My facial expression must have been a sight to see, because Yuri waved his hands in a disarming gesture. “But everyone’s situation is different! Nobody <em>has</em> to be as out as we are. What matters is your comfort level, and your partner’s, and that you’re both on the same page. ”</p><p> “So ‘coming out’ isn’t all or nothing…?” I wondered out loud. I would have thought that someone was either completely “out” or completely “in,” but this was a new growth area for my English vocabulary. “And a couple could be together without necessarily being ‘out’ to everyone?”</p><p> Suddenly, Richard set down his teacup and saucer on the low table. His polite smile was a taut line on his beautiful face. “Yuri, Victor, thank you very much for answering all of my staff’s questions and sharing your valuable perspectives. I apologize that this conversation has taken such a personal turn, please do not feel pressured to answer any more of Seigi’s questions. Seigi, tea.”</p><p> With an apology to Victor and Yuri for my prying questions, I backed out of the room.</p><p>When I came back from the kitchenette with refills of royal milk tea and plate of madeleines, Yuri, Victor, and Richard were deep in conversation about the gemstones and the details of Maya-san’s drawing. As they sipped their tea and nibbled on the dainty shell-shaped butter cakes, Yuri and Victor asked Richard questions about the design and examined the gemstones in detail. They did ultimately decide on the magenta rhodolite garnet Maya and Richard had recommended, which paired quite well with the blue-violet iolite. I couldn’t wait to see the effect of the two colored gemstones and the radiant diamond set into the ring’s band of yellow and white gold. <em>First love, a passion that isn’t obvious at first glance, and a diamond for eternity. What an excellent set of meanings for a pair of wedding rings.</em></p><p> I cleared away the empty teacups and plates, and Richard discussed plans for the couple to pick up the rings when they were finished. At long last, after what was probably a different kind of emotional discussion than they had anticipated, Katsuki Yuri and Victor Nikifirov prepared to leave Jewelry Étranger.</p><p> Richard and I walked the two men to the door. At the threshold, Victor turned to Richard, smiling brightly. “Richard-san, could I borrow Seigi for just a moment?”</p><p> “That would be up to Seigi. But we do have time before our next reservation, so Seigi, if you would like to step out for a moment, feel free.”</p><p> “Okay then, be right back…?” I replied, a little confused as Victor put a hand on my shoulder and steered me out the door and down the stairs. “Did you want to talk to me about something? Again, I’m really sorry about earlier, I got kind of carried away.”</p><p> Victor waved a hand dismissively. “Oh no, it’s nothing.” He sighed fondly. “I remember when I was first figuring myself out, it was a lot to think about. I can give you my Insta, my DMs are always open if you ever want to consult with a <em>senpai</em> on anything.” He held up his smartphone with a wink.</p><p> “Insta…?”</p><p> Victor put a hand to his chin, brow furrowed. “Hmm, Snapchat then? I’m not very active…”</p><p> “Oh uh, I’m not really on social media…” I felt like there had to be a giant question mark floating over my head. Why did Victor want to talk to me about social networking sites…?</p><p> “Wow, I thought everyone younger than Yuri was all over Snapchat! Must just be Yurio. Anyway, that’s not the point!” Victor cleared his throat, a softer, more serious look in his eyes. “Seigi, I don’t think you need to be so concerned about being out at work. It’s clear you have a very understanding, open-minded boss. Besides, you should see the fond way he looks at you when he thinks you aren’t looking. Whenever you decide it’s time to tell him how you feel, I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes better than you might expect.” He grinned mischievously. “A lot better!”</p><p> Yuri tugged on the sleeve of Victor’s jacket. “Victor, you’re embarrassing him.”</p><p> I felt like my brain was about 15 steps behind whatever conclusion Victor and Yuri had come to. Like a freight train building up speed only to careen into a brick wall, my disjointed thoughts finally caught up to what Victor was saying, and then immediately came to a screeching, messy halt. “…you definitely have the wrong idea about me and Richard!” <em>Fond</em>…?</p><p> “Hmm…” Victor glanced back up the stairs in the direction of Étranger’s front door. “If you’re sure…”</p><p> “I told you, you’re embarrassing him,” Yuri chided. He looked at his watch. “Didn’t you want to shop for souvenirs? We still have a little bit of time.”</p><p> “Oh that’s right! Yurio will never forgive me if I don’t bring him back something from Tokyo this time. Ooh, and something for Makkachin! And your parents of course…”</p><p> “Do you know anywhere nearby that sells souvenirs for dogs?” Yuri asked, a little sheepishly.</p><p> “Hmm, not sure,” I replied. “I can definitely recommend sweets, and if you’re looking for dinner later on, Shiseido Parlor has some good food. Maybe one of the department stores?”</p><p> “Okay, we’ll take a look around. Thanks.” Yuri bowed, and Victor quickly followed suit. “It was nice to meet you, Seigi! <em>Eigo, ganbatte kudasai ne</em>”</p><p> “<em>Ganbarimasu!”</em> I replied.</p><p> “We’re rooting for you!” Victor chimed in. “Give us an update when we come back to see the finished rings, okay?”</p><p> An update on what…? Pet souvenir stores? “I’ll be on the lookout!” I replied.</p><p> This time it was Victor’s turn to have imaginary question marks floating above his head. Yuri grabbed him by the hand. “It’s nothing Seigi, don’t worry about it,” he told me in Japanese, and he whispered something to Victor that sounded a lot like “Stop pressuring him, it’ll work itself out if it’s meant to be.”</p><p> What will work itself out…? The gift for the dog? “Good luck with the souvenirs!” I called after them, waving. I couldn’t help but smile at the picture-perfect scene as the couple walked away, arm in arm, down the sunny tree-lined streets of Ginza’s 7-<em>chome</em>. They were certainly in good hands with Maya, Richard, and Jewelry Étranger. There was no better place to turn to for a custom piece of jewelry to reflect the sparkling presence these two displayed to the world. I couldn’t wait to see what the finished wedding rings would look like. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! </p><p>Here are references images I used for Yuri and Victor's rings:<br/><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mens%203%20stone%20ring&amp;iax=images&amp;ia=images&amp;iai=http://www.kevinjewelers.com/Images/Products/17843/Large/Y11181AA.jpg">Primarily this one.</a><br/><a href="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Lg7qkEPRgRgc4VkaB_E2iwEsEs%26pid%3DApi&amp;f=1">Also this.</a><br/><a href="https://www.krikawa.com/rings/bead-set-three-stone-mens-ring">And this.</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://www.houseki-mall.com/stonewords.html">Here is the reference I used for the the hōseki kotoba meanings for each gemstone.</a></p><p> </p><p>Please leave a comment if you enjoyed, and feel free to follow me on Twitter (@haylieraine).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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